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The Next California Drug Cartel

A ballot initiative won’t save money but will hurt patients.

Updated Nov. 6, 2016 7:10 p.m. ET

An article of faith on the left is that anything can be achieved if the government commands it. Nowhere is this more clear than health care, which isn’t better or less expensive after years of progressive orders. But such faith is impervious to evidence, especially in California, which is now considering price controls on prescription drugs.

Californians will vote Nov. 8 on Proposition 61, a ballot measure that would limit what state agencies can pay for drugs for their health-insurance beneficiaries. For instance,...